Breaking the Cycle: How to Control Ruminating Thoughts for Better Mental Health - Episode 25
Racing thoughts can feel overwhelming, disrupting your focus, sleep, and overall mental well-being. These repetitive thought loops, common during moments of stress and midlife transitions, can lead to exhaustion and difficulty managing emotions. If you are ready to break the cycle, this episode provides simple, yet practical steps to stop the ruminating and bring you back to the present moment to make empowered life decisions.
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This episode covers:
(00:12:21) The impact on mental health and the link between rumination, anxiety, and depression.
(00:13:38) The physical health effects of chronic rumination, including high blood pressure and fatigue.
(00:17:02) Learn how ruminating thoughts impair decision-making and lead to analysis paralysis.
(00:19:08) Learn the techniques you can use to break the loop of ruminating thoughts.
Understanding Ruminating Thoughts
Ruminating thoughts are repetitive, intrusive thoughts that often revolve around worries, regrets, or hypothetical scenarios that seem to have no end. They can keep you stuck in a loop of anxiety, making it difficult to enjoy life or make decisions. These thoughts typically stem from the Adolescent Chair, where our ego resides, and the thoughts are driven by fear and the need for control.
1. Grounding Techniques to Break the Loop
One of the most effective ways to manage ruminating thoughts is through grounding techniques. Grounding helps bring your focus back to the present moment, breaking the cycle of overthinking.
Box Breathing
The box breathing technique, which involves a simple pattern of inhaling, holding, and exhaling. Here’s how to do it:
Inhale for four counts: Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of four.
Hold for four counts: Keep the breath in for another count of four.
Exhale for four counts: Release the breath slowly through your mouth for a count of four.
This technique calms your nervous system and helps shift your focus back to the present moment.
Body Scan
Another grounding technique is the body scan, which involves paying attention to different parts of your body. Here’s how to perform a body scan:
Start with your feet: Place your feet flat on the ground and feel the connection to the floor.
Move your attention upward: Gradually shift your focus through your calves, knees, thighs, stomach, and up to your head.
Notice any sensations: As you scan your body, pay attention to any areas of tension or discomfort.
This practice helps you tune into your body and brings you back to the present, away from racing thoughts.
Tired of reading? Listen to this podcast episode on Spotify.
2. Labeling Your Emotions
Giving your emotions language helps you understand what you are feeling, which creates a pathway to manage ruminating thoughts. This technique helps you shift from your Adolescent Chair to your Adult Chair, where you can think more clearly.
Using an Emotions Wheel is a powerful tool for helping you articulate and understand your feelings more clearly. Emotions can often be complex and overwhelming, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly what we are experiencing. The Emotions Wheel provides a visual representation of various emotions, allowing you to identify and label your feelings more effectively.
To begin, take a moment to look at the Emotions Wheel and find a word that resonates with your current emotional state. For example, if you are feeling anxious, you would locate the word "anxiety" on the wheel. This step is crucial because it transforms vague feelings into specific emotions, giving you a clearer understanding of what you are experiencing. By naming your emotions, you create a sense of awareness that can help you manage them more effectively.
Once you have identified your emotion, the next step is to refer to the Needs Wheel. This tool helps you explore what you might need in that moment to address the emotion you are feeling. For instance, if you have identified fear as your emotion, the Needs Wheel may indicate that you require a sense of safety or understanding. This connection between your feelings and your needs is essential for emotional regulation. It allows you to recognize that your feelings are valid and that there are actionable steps you can take to support yourself.
This process of identifying your feelings and connecting them to your needs not only provides language for your emotions but also empowers you to step out of the ruminating cycle. When you articulate what you are feeling and understand what you need, you can break free from the loop of overthinking and anxiety. Instead of being trapped in a cycle of worry, you can take proactive steps to address your emotional state, leading to greater emotional balance and well-being. By utilizing the Emotions Wheel and the Needs Wheel, you equip yourself with the tools necessary to navigate your emotional landscape more effectively, fostering a healthier relationship with yourself and those around you.
3. Shifting into Action with Empowered Decisions
Once you're grounded and you've identified your emotion(s), the next step is to take action to combat ruminating thoughts. When you're stuck in a loop of overthinking, it can feel like you have no control over your thoughts and emotions. This is often due to the adolescent chair, where fear and uncertainty drive your ruminating thoughts, keeping you trapped in a cycle of worry and indecision.
However, by making empowered decisions, you can regain that control. To take empowered action, ask yourself, "What can I do right now to support myself?" This could involve simple steps like taking a walk, journaling, or even addressing basic needs like hydration or rest. The key is to focus on small, manageable actions rather than trying to solve everything at once.
By taking these small, actionable steps like grounding yourself, labeling your emotions, and making an empowered decision, you can break free from the cycle of ruminating thoughts and move forward in a healthier, more balanced way. This process not only helps you regain control but also enhances your overall mental and emotional well-being.
Final Thoughts
Ruminating thoughts can be overwhelming, but with the right techniques, you can take control of your mind and emotions. By practicing grounding techniques, labeling your thoughts and emotions, and making empowered decisions, you can break free from the cycle of overthinking. Remember, it’s about taking small steps and reconnecting with the present moment. As LaShonda reminds us, this is a time in life to live from our healthiest adult selves, and these tools can help you do just that.
If you found this post helpful, consider sharing it with others who may benefit from these techniques. Together, we can support each other in our journeys toward emotional healing and personal growth.
To learn more about processing emotions, check out this podcast episode on how to connect to your emotions to understand your needs.
Favorite Resources For Emotional Wellness for Midlife Women
Clarity & Connection examines how intense emotions accumulate in our subconscious and condition us to act and react in certain ways.
The Adult Chair: A Guide to Loving Yourself is a straightforward how-to guide on identifying what “chair” you are in emotionally so you learn to navigate and manage your feelings as an emotionally healthy adult.
Emotions Journal for Women is designed for women to track their daily feelings to help you enhance your emotional well-being, relieve anxiety, and improve mental health.
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